#ExploreKumamotoJapan #TheHealingForest #NatureLover #Walking #KikuchiKeikuko #KikuchiValley #KikuchiGorge #菊池渓谷 #RelaxingMusic #Calming #Sounds


The Healing Forest(Kikuchi Gorge)

Kikuchi Keikoku (Kikuchi Gorge) is a 4km long gorge located in Aso Kuju National Park. The water runs from the outer rim of the Aso Crater. It is also known as Kikuchi Suigen (water source), and was selected as one of the 100 best waters in Japan

Kikuchi Valley, known as Kikuchi Keikoku 菊地渓谷 in Japanese is renowned as one of Japan’s 44 ‘Shinrin Yoku’ or ‘Forest Bathing’ sites. The Japanese developed Forest bathing in the 1980s, the idea being to boost your health and well being by engaging with nature using all five senses, luxuriating in the sights, sounds and smells of the forest. It may sound a bit new agey but there is hard science behind it, research has shown that the health benefits of a walk in the forest far outweigh taking a walk in an urban environment. One of the reasons is the presence of phytoncides in the forest, these are the volatile substances released by trees to ward off insects and disease. These essential oils give a forest its fantastic fragrance and on humans they have the magical effect of boosting the immune system, lowering stress hormones and lifting the mood. The forest of the Kikuchi Valley is particularly good for forest bathing, its rare virgin forest being high in phytoncides which infuse the air due to the natural mists which form from the many small falls and natural springs.

The setting is a photographer’s and botanist’s dream, the transluscent blue Kikuchi river winding and falling beautifully through the wooded shady valley. The trees including splendid towering Cryptomeria and Japanese Elm are moss fringed and green giving you views reminiscent of Yakushima’s natural paradise. Unlike Yakushima you don’t need any professional hiking equipment to enjoy this scenery. The route around the gorge is perfect for a leisurely walk, following the river which tumbles over rocks in a series of waterfalls. The path does have some steps so access with a wheel chair or pushchair would be a little difficult. The valley is particularly popular during spring and autumn when the foliage is at its finest. In summer it is a great spot to escape the heat as the water flows of the ground at a constant 15 degrees, making it refreshingly cool in the summer and mild in the winter.

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